Archives for August 2016

Two words. Low and slow. The secret to cooking perfectly chewy bacon is mainly that you need to cook it longer on lower heat than most people think. This keeps the bacon flavorful and slightly crisped without burning or taking on a burnt taste. The other rule is to forget everything you thought you knew when people told you that you have to line up the bacon slices 3 or 4 slices across in the bottom of a pan and cook one side evenly, then flip and repeat. This is incredibly time consuming and unnecessary. With my method, you put all the bacon you want in the pan at once without worrying about having it flat in one layer. It’s so much easier and less fussy. It may change life as you know it. Because if you’re me, bacon is life.

The low and slow bacon cooking method:

Heat a shallow saute pan on low heat. Place all of the bacon you’d like to cook in the pan, and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to rotate the bacon that is on the pan surface. After just a few minutes, you will find that the bacon begins to curl.

Continue stirring to rotate the layers of bacon. After about 5 minutes, a good amount of bacon grease will be produced. I pour this off during the cooking process. If you don’t, the bacon will likely start getting too hot and will become scorched, a burnt flavor beginning to overpower the best flavor of the bacon itself. After about 10 minutes of cooking, the bacon will approach doneness, with some pieces getting nice red-brown color before others.

I like to take out the pieces that have finished cooking with tongs, and slowly remove all the pieces to a paper-towel lined plate this way until all the bacon has finished cooking. That’s it! I’ve found this method to be fool-proof for great bacon every time.

One of my favorite restaurants in NYC is a French Moroccan place in Midtown called Barbes. I was there with my mom for dinner one night, and we ordered a three-course dinner special with vegetable cous cous, tagine chicken with preserved lemons, and for dessert, chocolate mouse and a dessert b’stilla. The b’stilla was made up of layer upon flakey layer of flakey phyllo, with pistachios, hazelnuts, cream, and rose water. The rose water gave such a nice complement to the cream sauce, and kept it a light and refreshing dessert. Ever since that dinner at Barbes, I have wanted to pick up some rose water and use it in creative ways.

At last, I ordered the rose water, which you can easily get on Amazon by the way, and started experimenting with it. This Raspberry Rose Gin and Tonic is my best recipe after an afternoon of “mixology” in my hot, humid apartment. Of course, I had to drink the results of my experiment and it was so nice and refreshing.

Although I call this a Gin and Tonic, I use seltzer water instead of tonic water. I did not want to use tonic water with quinine, as quinine has a very distinctive taste, and I wanted the rose and raspberry flavors to stand out. The use of seltzer water still gives a nice bit of carbonation as a mixer, but doesn’t take away from the star flavors. The gin goes very well with the rose, raspberry, and lemon, and the cocktail itself is a nice clear pink color. This drink is so nice on a hot summer day. I took a cocktail shaker of it to an outdoor movie event and it was a big hit.

In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, seltzer, rose water, sugar, and lemon juice. Add the raspberries, and muddle in the shaker with a spoon to infuse the flavor. Shake gently to mix, and pour, strained, into a glass, discarding the muddled raspberries.

If you have not heard already, baking in the summer in New York City requires sacrifice. So, I had to believe that making this pear crumble was worth the literal sweat and tears I braved to bake it. And I have to say, I think it was worth it. I love how this crumble turned out, so much in fact, that I am not ashamed to say that I ate some for breakfast with ice cream the morning after I made it. I left it cold, and it was great, but I think it would be equally good warm. I am definitely one of those people who spends an extra 30 seconds to warm up a chocolate chip cookie in the microwave to make it ooey gooey good.

The crumble has coconut and walnut in the flakey butter crust, a fresh pear jam with cinnamon for the filling, and is topped with a sweet butter crumble and toasted coconut. It’s simple, but decadent. Perfect for a summer brunch or potluck get-together! This reminds me, I need to make plans soon so I can spread the love…otherwise I’ll eat the whole dish!

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until the ingredients just combine. Reserve one fourth of the mixture and set aside. Remove the rest of the crust mixture to a large mixing bowl, and fold in the coconut and walnuts. Place in a 9-inch square baking dish, pressing down to compact the crust.

To make the pear jam

Place the chopped pear in a large stainless steel pot, crushing with a wooden spoon on high heat. Bring to a boil and let boil for one minute, stirring constantly so as not to burn the pears.

Add the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, and boil on medium high heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. The mixture will have a lot of liquid. After 2 minutes of hard boiling, turn to low, cover and let soften for 45 minutes, or until the pears will mush with a wooden spoon. Boil off excess liquid by turning up to medium-high once again, and boil for approximately 10 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool for approximately 15 minutes.

To make the crumble

Mix the reserved crust mixture with the dark brown sugar until well mixed.

To bake the bars

Spread the pear jam evenly on top of the crust, evening with a wooden spoon. Distribute the crumble evenly across the top of the jam, sprinkling between your fingers. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top and edges of the bars begin to brown. Let cool approximately 10 minutes. While the bars are cooling, toast the reserved shredded coconut by heating dry on medium-high heat in a small pan. Toss the coconut to prevent burning. Once nicely browned and aromatic, take off the heat and sprinkle on the crumble. Cut into squares and enjoy by itself or with vanilla ice cream.

Coming up with a name for this salad was challenging. There are so many amazing ingredients in it, that it was all I could do not to just list everything. I call it a Mediterranean salad because it incorporates many ingredients popular in countries along the Mediterranean Sea and into Africa and the Middle East. Israeli cous cous, quinoa, and chickpeas make up the body of the salad with roasted butternut squash, pomegranate, golden raisins, cilantro, and mint adding a lot of flavor and color. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette of olive oil, white wine vinegar, and ras el hanout. Ras el hanout is a popular spice blend in North Africa which in Arabic literally means, “top of the shop,” implying that the spices included were the best in the store. See my recipe for making your own ras el hanout blend here, or buy it at most specialty grocery stores.

I love the play of sweet and savory in this salad. The savory ras el hanout vinaigrette contrasts nicely with the pomegranate and golden raisins, with the mint and cilantro adding a great refreshing lift. This was my first time using Israeli couscous in a recipe. In the past, I have used Moroccan, but I love the larger-grained and chewy Israeli couscous and it has definitely become my preferred type for this kind of dish.

Begin by tossing your chopped butternut squash in a bowl with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place the tossed and seasoned squash in one layer on a sheet pan, and bake in a 305 degree oven for 15 minutes or until a fork just goes through a test piece.

While the squash is baking, cook the quinoa and couscous. The quinoa will take longer to cook than the couscous, so start with the quinoa. In a small pot, combine one cup of dry quinoa with two cups water. Bring to a boil uncovered, then cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes. If all liquid has not been absorbed in 10 minutes, simply pour off. This will ensure that the quinoa does not get oversaturated with water and become soggy. With quinoa, it's better to slightly undercook than overcook, if anything. Take off the heat, fluff with a fork, and set aside. In a medium pot, heat olive oil on medium-high heat with just enough oil to cover the bottom, swirling to coat. Add the couscous, and lightly brown, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. In a glass measuring cup, boil 1 3/4 cups of water in the microwave. Add the boiling water to the browned couscous, bringing it to a boil. Immediately turn to low and cover, simmering for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, all liquid should be absorbed and the couscous grains should be completely cooked but still nicely chewy. Take off the heat, fluff with a fork and set aside.

To make the vinaigrette, add the olive oil, white wine vinegar, sugar, and ras el hanout to a mason jar or other small lidded container. Shake well to combine.

Here are a few past recipes that have been at the forefront of my mind as I brave the hot humid summer of New York City. In the hot weather, I especially love salads, sandwiches, wraps, and anything that doesn’t involve much heat preparation. Of course, the traditional grill out is necessary, so I’ve included one of my all-time favorite burgers, along with a few cold treats and refreshing beverages. When it comes to sweet things, I tend to gravitate toward tropical flavors in the summer, so the coconut cinnamon french toast with butter sauteed strawberries is a must.